Food For Thought
by derangedperson
Summary: It was supposed to be a celebration.
1. Prologue

_Triumph._

_Celebration, the only way he knew how._

_Then an unfortunate chain of events._

_The squeaking of the wheels as the cart careened towards the edge of the ship._

_The loud, jarring crash of the cart against the guardrail._

_A series of faint splashes as the food plummeted into the ocean._

_Despair.  
__  
Frustration._

_Anger.  
__  
Rage._

_And then..._

_Nothing._

_Then it vanished. Blind rage always does._

_Staring blankly at the scene before him._

_...My God._

_But still...he ruined the whole damn thing._

_He had it coming._

_...........Right?_


	2. Broken Bonds

Two years at sea and the feast of a lifetime to celebrate it. Laughing and carrying on. Remembrances and memories. A triumphant toast, and then music from Brook, which would inevitably lead to a rendition of Bink's Sake. Dancing. A kiss from both Nami-san and Robin-chwan.

At least, that was the plan.

Sanji took a long, slow drag from his cigarette and stared off into space. The blood on his coat would wash out, but the memory of that night's dinner never would. All the time he had spent traveling the Grand Line with the Straw Hat Pirates...all the adventures and craziness he had gotten used to...and he did _that._ Alone with his thoughts, his mind wandered back to the Baratie and to Zeff. What would the old man say if he had seen what had happened? Probably...

"How could you?"

His thoughts crashed to a halt as a disappointed female voice cut through the silence. Sanji turned around to find himself face to face with Nami. Normally, being in her presence caused his heart to flutter and his body to turn to Jell-O, but at that moment he stood rigid as a statue, not making eye contact with her. Nami repeated her accusation.

"I don't want to talk about it, Nami-san."

"How can you not want to talk about it? At the very least, you've got to apologize to him!"

"Why the hell should I? The greatest feast I've ever prepared as cook on this ship was _ruined,_ and I'm supposed to just forgive and forget?!"

"He was only trying to help!"

"I wanted this to be a perfect night, Nami-san! Everything was done and ready!" Sanji stomped out his finished cigarette in anger as Nami calmly tried to reason with him. "Sanji, you have every right to be angry, but you took it _way_ too far."

Exasperated, Sanji asked, "What do you want me to say?"

Nami put her hand under his chin and lifted his face to meet hers, saying, "You can start with 'sorry.'"

Sanji icily replied, "It'll be a cold day in hell before that happens."

Shocked, Nami jerked her hand back. Tears welled in her eyes as she tried to process the audacity it took to say such a terrible thing. Her face quickly turned from sadness to frustrated anger as she raised her hand and slapped Sanji across the face. Stunned, Sanji put his hand to his face and stared at her. A tense silence filled the air before Nami broke it with a tearful accusation.

"Zeff would be ashamed of you."

She returned to the infirmary in frustration, leaving Sanji alone on the deck. He lay down on his back and lit another cigarette, staring into the night sky. As he did, his thoughts drifted back to earlier in the day. Even though it was just a few hours ago, it seemed like years after the ugliness that had taken place. Smoke trailed out of the corner of Sanji's mouth as he replayed the fateful events.


	3. In Preparation

_Sanji's kitchen was abuzz with activity. His kitchen was abuzz with activity every day, but this day was different. Today was the Straw Hat Pirates' second anniversary at sea, and he had decided to prepare a feast for the ages. The cook was giddier than usual, so much so that he had taken off his shoes and was gliding around the floor in his socks, humming a jaunty tune. While scouring his many recipe books for appropriate dishes, he heard a knock at the door._

_"Come in," he said. The door opened, and Usopp walked in._

_"Oi, Sanji! What's for dinner tonight?" Usopp asked._

_Sanji proudly answered, "Well, tonight, in honor of our second year at sea, we're having Sea King au Poivre with baked potato, roast duck, Alabasta gumbo, and beef lasagna."_

_"Oh wow! Sounds good!"_

_"Thanks. We're also having some veggie stir fry."_

_Usopp's eyes widened as he screamed, "NO MUSHROOMS!"_

_Sanji smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Usopp, I won't put any mushrooms in there. Besides, I haven't even gotten to dessert yet."_

_The sniper's eyes lit up. "Ooh, dessert! Whaddaya got?"_

_"Strawberry cheesecake, chocolate torte, and mikan meringue!"_

_"WOW! That's one hell of a lineup!"_

_Sanji beamed and replied, "Thank you!"_

_"Are you sure you're gonna be able to make all that yourself?"_

_"Sure, I'm sure. There's nothing that I can't handle."_

_"Okay, but if you need any help, the great Captain Usopp shall readily assist you!"_

_Sanji chuckled and said, "I'll keep that in mind."_

_Usopp nodded and closed the door. Sanji returned to his work, gathering the necessary ingredients for his feast. As he began to prepare the Sea King, he turned around to find himself face to face with Luffy, his neck stretching through the door's porthole. Sanji let out a startled yell and, due to the slippery floor and being shoeless, he lost his balance and hit the back of his head on the oven door handle._

_Luffy opened the kitchen door and snapped the rest of his body to where his head had stretched. He grinned and said, "I'm hungry, Sanji! Got any meat?"_

_The cook rubbed the back of his head and growled, "Luffy...do you really think that was necessary?"_

_"Of course! Meat's delicious!"_

_"NOT THAT, DUMBASS! You could've knocked!"_

_"I know." _

_Sanji stared daggers at Luffy for a few seconds before returning to his work. "And to answer your question, Luffy: No. I don't have any meat."_

_Luffy pouted and whined, "But I'm hungry!"_

_"Well, you're gonna have to wait. I have a huge feast planned for tonight, and I need time to prepare all the food. You can have this if you want." He reached into the nearest cupboard and handed Luffy two large cans._

_Luffy took them and asked, "Is there meat in here?"_

_"I told you, Luffy, there's no meat! Now, you said you were hungry. That should hold you for a few hours. Like I said, I need time to make all this food if we're gonna celebrate. Now...can you handle eating that beef ravioli?"_

_"I gue--HEY! You said there wasn't any meat!"_

_Sanji grinned and said, "I lied."_

_Luffy gave him a hug and said, "THANK YOU, SANJI!" The cook returned the friendly embrace and replied, "No problem. Just cook that over an open flame for a few minutes--" Before Sanji could finish his sentence, Luffy had already torn open both cans and virtually inhaled their contents. Sanji broke the embrace and stared at Luffy's sauce-covered face, shaking his head in bewilderment._

_"Thnnksh aghin, Snnnji!" Luffy exclaimed through his ravioli-stuffed mouth._

_The cook rolled his eyes and replied, "No problem, Luffy."_

_Luffy swallowed the food and absently stared at the floor. "Hey Sanji..."_

_"What?"_

_"Why are you wearing socks in here? You could slip and get hurt."_

_Sanji glared at Luffy for a few seconds with a look that seemed to say, "No shit." As Luffy turned to leave, he kicked him in the butt and watched him fly out the door and slam into the mast. He then heard Zoro's voice from up above screaming, "WHAT THE HELL?!" Sanji smiled, shut the door and returned to his workstation._

_But before he cooked any further, he put his shoes back on._


	4. The Ugly Truth

"Sanji."

The calling of his name snapped Sanji out of his thoughts and back into reality. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw Franky and Chopper standing over him with looks of apprehension mixed with anger on their faces. As he sat up, he said, "Oh...hey, guys. What's the deal?"

Franky said, "The deal, Sanji, is what happened. I'd like to know exactly how you're gonna justify yourself to Luffy after that shit you pulled."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Sanji," Chopper said. "You nearly killed him."

Sanji's face went pale. "What do you mean I nearly killed him?"

"Reindeer-gorilla means you went batshit after all that food you made fell into the ocean. You can talk to anyone here and they'll say the same thing...assuming they even _want_ to talk to you."

"Don't say that, Franky! I'd _never_ hurt Luffy!"

"Well, you did. Pretty bad, too."

Sanji gulped and asked, "H...how bad?"

Chopper began to read from his diagnostic report: "Bruising all over the body consistent with strikes from both the legs and the arms. Deep wounds likely caused by a sharpened butcher knife. Head trauma, possible concussion--"

"NO MORE! Jesus Christ, no more!" Sanji begged. "I...I _couldn't_ have done those things! I _WOULDN'T!"_

"Don't be so sure, Cook-san." Upon hearing Nico Robin's voice, Sanji turned around to see her standing before him. "You _did_ do those things. We saw you."

"Don't lie like that, Robin-chwan! PLEASE!"

"You completely lost control and went after him like a wild animal. If it weren't for the seven of us, you would most likely have killed our captain."

Sanji's face registered limp, unbelieving shock. Tears welled in his eyes as he pleaded, "NO! That's impossible! THAT'S NOT ME!"

"Sorry, bro," Franky replied. "It is." Sanji began to shake as Robin moved closer to talk with him. "Sanji..."

His head immediately jerked up. Robin almost _never_ called him by his first name.

Her voice was filled with a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger. "Sanji, I don't know if I can believe you."

Tears were now pouring out of his eyes as he begged her to. "Robin-chwan...please...please believe me. I would _never...NEVER..._do anything to hurt anyone."

Franky said, "Tell that to Luffy. See if _he_ buys it." Robin helped Sanji to his feet, and once he was standing the quartet went down to the infirmary.


	5. Anniversary

_After hearing the sound of Luffy crashing into Sunny's mast, Nami and Chopper ran over to check on him as Zoro climbed down from the crow's nest where he had been napping. Brook, Franky and Usopp dropped their various projects and watched over them to make sure everything was okay. Nico Robin seemingly continued to read, although she had sprouted a set of eyes on the mast just above Luffy's body._

_"Jeez!" Franky said. "Is he gonna be okay?"_

_"He'll be fine," Chopper said. "Just knocked a bit silly is all."_

_"SUPA!" answered the cyborg as he struck a pose. As Chopper looked up, he noticed Robin's eyes on the mast and shrieked in terror, running to hide behind Usopp._

_"Hey guys, where's Sanji?" Nami asked.  
_  
_"I do not know, madam," Brook replied. "I haven't seen him all day...oh! How could I see him? I have no eyes! YOHOHOHOOOOO! SKULL JOKE!"_

_Zoro replied, "Ah, that shitty cook's probably in his lair cooking up some sorta crap."_

_Nami smacked him upside the head and said, "For your information, Sanji's food is delicious!" A brief gust of wind blew through as she said that, and she could swear that in the wind she heard Sanji saying, "THANK YOU, NAMI-SAAAAAAAAAN!"_

_Luffy popped up from his prone position and said, "It sure is, Nami! Besides, today's the second-year anniversary of the day we first set out to sea! The Straw Hat Pirates are officially TWO!"_

_"Oh yeah!" Zoro said. "Damn, I completely forgot about that!"_

_"Yeah, it's a good day!" Usopp said. "Two years and counting!"_

_Brook picked up his violin and said, "Congratulations! An event such as this calls for some music!" The skeleton started into the opening bars of Bink's Sake, and even though they'd heard it a million times, the Straw Hats all got up and danced. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sanji, distracted by the sounds of merriment, blindly grabbed a bottle of what appeared to be seasoning and added it to the water he was using for the gumbo. He brought a spoonful to his lips to taste it and immediately spat it out._

_"DAMN! Too spicy!" he said to himself. He dumped the water into the sink, cleaned out the pan as best he could, and prepared to start again. But before he did, he decided to walk out on deck. When Brook saw the door open, he stopped playing, which caused everyone to stop dancing._

_"Hello, Sanji!" Brook called. "What news do you have?"_

_"Well, I hate to tell you this, but I think I screwed up one of the dishes. We're gonna have to push the dinner back a few hours."_

_"A few hours?!" Luffy screamed._

_"I've gotta make sure everything's ready at the same time, Luffy. Can you guys wait a little bit longer?"_

_"Do we have a choice?" Zoro asked._

_Sanji grinned and replied, "No, you don't, Marimo." As he went back into the kitchen, Brook started from where he'd left off._


	6. Injury

As they descended the stairs into the infirmary, Sanji prepared himself for the worst. Chopper had said on the way down that his injuries were about as severe as he'd ever seen, and that Luffy was lucky to have survived. Before they arrived at Luffy's bedside, they ran into Zoro, who was just leaving him.

Zoro narrowed his eyes at Sanji and callously asked, "So...come here to finish the job?"

"Fuck you," Sanji muttered.

"What was that, shithead?!"

"I SAID _**FUCK YOU!"**_

"DON'T YOU _DARE_ COME DOWN HERE AND TRY TO GET SYMPATHY! You nearly fucking _killed_ him, and you have the audacity to come down here begging for forgiveness?!"

"He told us he's not expecting that, Swordsman-san," Robin said.

"Well, he shouldn't. You pull shit like that..." He put his hand to his face and sighed heavily. "If he wakes up, don't expect him to be in the forgiving mood." He started for the steps up to the deck, but before he ascended them, he told the quartet: "Listen. I've told Brook, Usopp and Nami this, and now I'm telling you. As long as Luffy's out of commission, I'm the acting captain of the Thousand Sunny. You understand?"

"Yes," Robin answered. Chopper nodded his head. Franky gave him the thumbs up.

Sanji choked out, "Yeah." He then hung his head and began to cry.

"Knock it off," Zoro said. "Your fucking crocodile tears won't work on me." He started up the stairs.

"Damn..." Franky mumbled.

"Sanji," Chopper asked, "do you want to sit down for a few minutes before you go in there?"

"No," he answered. "I want to see him now and get it over with."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

The three of them stood aside as Sanji prepared to enter the infirmary. He took a deep breath, sighed heavily, and entered only to stagger out almost immediately with his hand over his mouth. He had never expected it to be this bad.

The only way he could recognize the figure in the bed as Luffy was because of his straw hat hanging on the wall. Otherwise, it looked nothing like him. Bandages were wrapped around his upper body and his legs, blood seeping through them in a few spots. Chopper told him that, thankfully, he was able to close the knife wounds and that that was normal. Sanji walked back in, shaking his head and mouthing, "No...no...no..." repeatedly.

Luffy's face was a swollen, bloodied mess, far worse than anything Sanji could have done to him in his worst state of rage. Welts, cuts and bruises dotted his features as he took ragged breaths. Not only was this like staring into the face of hell for the cook, it was too much for him to bear. He screamed in pain and ran out of the room and upstairs to his quarters.

He slammed the door and grabbed for a photo he had laying on an end table. The photo showed Luffy and Sanji shortly after the incident at Enies Lobby--Luffy giving the peace sign with both of his hands and Sanji grinning while standing on a huge pile of fish on the Galley-La docks. _That_ was the Luffy he remembered. _That_ was the Luffy he knew. Not that...that wreck in the infirmary.

He pressed the photo to his forehead and wept. He knew that, soon, there would be a day of reckoning. As far as Sanji could tell, his days as a Straw Hat Pirate were numbered.


	7. Fiasco

_Three hours had passed since Sanji had informed them of the delayed dish, so everyone figured that it would only be a matter of time before everything was ready. After hearing Usopp explain what Sanji was preparing for them, everyone began to hum with excitement. Luffy was especially ecstatic about the roast duck and the beef lasagna._

_"YES! I knew he had some more meat laying around!" Luffy exclaimed._

_Nami rolled her eyes and asked him, "You know Sanji gave you those cans of ravioli just to get you out of there, right?"_

_"Come on, Nami," Usopp whispered. "Don't ruin that for him."_

_She nodded slightly and quickly told Luffy, "Never mind. Anyway, that mikan meringue sounds terrific!"_

_Brook exclaimed, "I especially look forward to the Sea King! I can hardly wait to taste it...even though I have no tongue! SKULL JOKE!"_

_They were so busy talking about the food that they didn't notice Sanji standing on deck. He cleared his throat and said, "GUYS!" Upon hearing his voice, everyone stopped talking and craned their necks towards him._

_"The food's almost ready, and I figured we could eat out here tonight! If you guys can get the table ready, that'd be great--I've just gotta put the finishing touches on a couple things."_

_"Sure thing, bro!" Franky answered._

_"Thanks, Franky. It should only be about five to ten minutes." Sanji went back into the kitchen while Franky began to talk with everyone outside._

_"Guys," he asked, "do we have a table?"_

_"I don't think we do, Cyborg-san," Robin answered._

_"Damn." Suddenly, Franky got an idea. He turned to Usopp and asked him, "Long Nose, do you think we can throw a table and a couple of benches together in ten minutes?"_

_"I don't know, but we can sure give it a try," Usopp answered._

_"All right! Let's do this!" Franky went down into the ship's belly to get some wood while Brook, Usopp, Chopper and Zoro waited for him. Luffy, Nami and Robin went to gather the plates, silverware and glasses. By the time they came out of storage with everything in hand, Franky and company had made a makeshift table and two benches, long enough to seat everyone._

_Luffy exclaimed, "Wow, Franky! That was fast!"_

_"It was nothing, Straw Hat!" All of a sudden, the door to the kitchen swung open and everyone immediately sat down. Sanji exited pushing a cart filled with food--the biggest, most epic feast he had ever prepared. A proud, beaming smile was spread across his face as he made his way to the table._

_"Wow, Sanji!" Chopper said, his eyes sparkling. "That's amazing!"_

_"Incredible!"_

_"Exquisite!"_

_"MEEEEEEEEEEAT!" Luffy immediately dove at the cart only to be met with a boot to the face. "Wait your turn, Luffy--I've gotta make sure everyone gets their fair share."_

_He locked the rear wheels in place and prepared to arrange the dishes on the table. As they gazed at the cart, the Straw Hats' stomachs all seemed to rumble at the same time in a chorus of hunger and excitement. They knew he had been preparing something huge, but this...this was massive._

_"Hey Sanji," Luffy asked. "Can I help?"_

_"Sure. As long as you promise not to eat everything." With his blessing, Luffy got up and began to help him arrange the food. All the main dishes were ready, and the wines Sanji had selected were chilling on ice. Luffy reached over to grab the pot containing the Alabasta gumbo, but in his excitement he lost his balance and fell over, accidentally knocking the wheel brake out of place with his hand. At that moment, a wave hit the left side of the Sunny and knocked the ship askew just enough to send the cart careening towards the edge._

_Sanji screamed a profanity and ran after it. Luffy stretched out his arm to try and grab it, but it was too late. The cart hit the edge of the ship with a loud crash. Everyone stared in shock as everything Sanji had prepared plummeted into the ocean. Within a matter of seconds, the anniversary dinner was ruined. Sanji and Luffy walked to the cart, the chef openly weeping and Luffy keeping his distance. Everyone at the table prepared for the worst._


	8. The Great Debate

An uncomfortable silence echoed through the dining room as the seven Straw Hats who bore witness to the beating held court. Zoro, the interim captain, rubbed his temples as he prepared to start the meeting.

"What do you think we should do about this?" he asked.

Robin replied, "You're the captain for the time being, Swordsman-san. I think we should be asking _you_ that question."

Usopp argued, "Luffy would want to hear everyone's opinion. I don't think we should make any rash decisions without hearing from everyone."

"Yeah, you're right," Zoro answered. "What do you guys think?"

"I don't know," Franky said. "I really don't."

"That didn't seem like Sanji at all," Nami said. "Luffy's screwed up dinners before, but I've never seen him lose control like that."

"It was like he was possessed," Chopper added. "He really looked like he was gonna kill him."

Brook said, "That look in his eyes...was one of pure rage."

"You know what, Brook?" Usopp said. "I think this was Sanji's revenge."

"What do you mean, Long Nose?" Robin asked.

"Think about it--Sanji's always taken pride in everything he makes, whether it's a simple pancake or a five-course dinner. All Luffy eats or _wants_ to eat is meat."

"LUFFY!" Chopper exclaimed. "I'll be right back, guys!" The little reindeer ran to the infirmary to check on him, leaving the group to listen to Usopp's explanation.

"Anyway," he continued, "try to see that from Sanji's perspective. If you poured your heart and soul into something only to have it thrown back in your face over and over again, how would you feel? I think that, for lack of a better term, the top just blew off the mountain in this case."

Everyone thought about Usopp's explanation and seemed to agree with it. Then Zoro said, "I saw Luffy stretch out his arms to grab the cart before it hit the edge. What do you guys think about that?"

"Honestly," Nami said, "I think he was trying to save the whole thing."

"Not just the meat?" Usopp asked.

"Not just the meat. Luffy was really excited today--after all, it's our two-year..." Nami's voice trailed off as tears began to well in her eyes. Franky put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It's okay, Nami. Take your time." She tried to find the words again but was overcome by emotion. The cyborg walked her to her room as the conversation continued.

"I don't know if he saw that or not," Brook said.

"He did," Zoro said. "He kept screaming that he was just doing that to save the meat."

"Oh yeah," Usopp mumbled. Just then, they heard a knock at the door. Zoro opened it to see Chopper standing with a look of relief on his face.

"What's up, doc?" Usopp asked, trying to relieve the tension.

Chopper answered, "He opened his eyes. He's gonna be fine."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God," Robin said.

"His wounds will take a couple weeks to heal, but he should be back to his old self within a few days. I'm just gonna keep him in bed for a little while longer in case something happens."

Zoro asked, "Did you tell Nami and Franky?"

"Yeah. They both broke down; Franky pulled out his guitar and started singing."

"There's just one thing that's bothering me," Robin said.

"Hm?" Zoro asked. "What's that?"

"Sanji was using his hands to beat Luffy. When was the last time you saw him use his hands in combat?" Everyone thought about that for a few seconds before Usopp said, "I've _never_ seen Sanji use his hands in combat."

"If I remember, he said that if he did, he might damage his hands and be unable to cook," Zoro added. "Not that that's a _bad_ thing, but..." Robin immediately sprouted an arm on his shoulder and clocked him upside the head. "Doctor-san, have you checked your medicines lately?"

"Not lately, Robin. When I was working on Luffy, I just grabbed what I needed to treat him."

"Go check them quick. See if any are missing."

"Right!"


	9. Rage

_Sanji leaned over the ship's edge, staring at the sea. All he could think about was the time he'd spent working on all that food and how proud he'd been of himself for making such a glorious array of dishes. As he reached for his cigarettes, he heard Luffy's pleading voice behind him._

_"Sanji, I'm so sorry! It was an accident!"_

_The cook said nothing. As he approached him, Luffy could see his fists clenching and unclenching._

_"Sanji, I know you're mad, but please believe me! I didn't mean to do that!"_

_Silence._

_"I tried to grab the cart before it hit! You saw that! Please--" Sanji turned around, and Luffy stopped dead in his tracks. The cook's eyes were bloodshot and full of rage, his jaw clenched so tight that he'd bitten through his cigarette. Luffy gulped and choked out, "I'm sorry, Sanji."_

_"Luffy..." he hissed._

_"What?"_

_"Do you have ANY FUCKING IDEA how long I worked on all that food?!" Upon hearing that outburst, Zoro stood up with Wado halfway drawn. "I don't like where this is headed," he said to himself._

_"Yeah," Luffy answered hesitantly. "Hours. You were working on everything when you gave me the ravioli earlier. I wasn't trying to ru--"_

_Luffy never got a chance to finish his sentence. Out of nowhere, Sanji punched him in the face with such force that it drove Luffy's entire body into the floorboards, his head bouncing off of them like a basketball. Gaping in shock at this sudden turn of events, Usopp screamed, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"_

_Sanji stood over Luffy's downed body and screamed, **"BULLSHIT! BULLSHIT, YOU WEREN'T!"** He rolled Luffy over, grabbed a chunk of his hair, and roughly jerked his head off the ground, lowering his own so that the two of them were eye to eye. Luffy could only stare at Sanji in total, numb shock as he tried to express his terror. Sanji smiled sadistically and grabbed a butcher knife from the cart._

_"You know what?" he asked with a terrifying playfulness in his voice. "Maybe I'll just serve YOU as the main course!" In a flash, he shoved the knife into Luffy's shoulder. Luffy screamed in agony as everyone frantically ran to his side. Zoro tried to knock Sanji out with the butt of one of his swords only to be met with a boot to the chest. Robin sprouted arms left and right, but Sanji grabbed Luffy and moved faster than they could grab him. He made his way to the opposite end of the ship and roughly threw Luffy to the ground, pulling the knife out before he did so._

_"You son of a bitch," the cook hissed as he dragged the knife across Luffy's back, drawing blood in a few spots. "I'm gonna fucking enjoy this."_

_"Sanji, PLEASE!" Luffy begged in desperation. "I TRIED TO STOP THE CART!"_

_Enraged, Sanji rammed Luffy's face into the floor. "BULLSHIT!" he screamed. "BULLSHIT!" He lifted Luffy's head up, placing his foot on the back of his head. The rubber man groaned in pain as Sanji rammed his face into the floor with as much force as he could muster._

_"YOU..."_

_Again._

_"...WERE JUST TRYING..."_

_Again. Franky got close enough to try and knock him out, but Sanji kicked him in the jaw, sending him flying back into the crew. Again, he stomped Luffy's face into the floor._

_**"...TO SAVE THE FUCKING MEAT!"** He grabbed a chunk of Luffy's hair and jerked his head up. His face a swollen, bloody mess, Luffy could barely acknowledge Sanji's presence. "THAT'S ALL YOU FUCKING CARE ABOUT IS MEAT! 'YOU HAVE ANY MEAT?!' 'ARE YOU MAKING MEAT?!' 'IS THAT MEAT?!'"_

_He grabbed the butcher knife and screamed, **"WELL, GUESS WHAT?! YOU'RE MADE OF MEAT!"** Sanji began to wildly hack and slash at Luffy, cutting him all over his body. Some wounds were shallow, some not. Luffy tried to crawl away, only to be dragged back by the madman. Sanji punched him in the kidneys, causing him to cough up blood and gasp for air. The cook clamped both hands together and drove them into Luffy's back, driving him to the floor. He rolled Luffy over and began to repeatedly and brutally punch him in the face, in the chest, in the back, in the sides, everywhere. Through all of this, he didn't notice Usopp behind him loading up his Kabuto with a Knockout Star._

_Just when he was about to throw the knockout blow, Usopp launched his weapon and it hit Sanji square in the back of his head, knocking him out immediately. Usopp threw him aside and screamed, **"CHOPPER! CHOPPER, HELP ME! GET IN HERE!"**_

_When the reindeer entered, he gasped in horror and turned into his Heavy Point form, saying, "We've gotta get him down to the infirmary!" Usopp grabbed Luffy's legs while Chopper hooked his arms over Luffy's, and together they carried him downstairs._


	10. Goodbye?

Sanji signed his name at the bottom of the note he had written. He sighed in resignation and stared at the ceiling, knowing that this was the last time he'd ever see it. With a heavy heart, he stuck the note to the outside of the door and started for Franky's garage. His intent was to leave without anyone noticing--the note would explain everything, he reasoned. But before he left, he decided to stop at the infirmary and say his goodbyes to Luffy. Arriving at his bedside, he pulled up a chair and sat next to him.

He began: "Luffy...I don't know if you can hear me, but I just wanted to tell you..." Tears began to roll down Sanji's cheeks as he continued. "I just wanted to tell you that I am so, so sorry for doing this to you. God, I wish I could take this back! I didn't believe I was capable of doing something so horrible, but..." He broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably. "Goddammit, it was just FOOD! Food can be replaced! YOU CAN'T! _YOU CAN'T!"_

He paused to catch his breath, and in a dry, cracking voice, he said, "I'm going to turn myself in to the Marines. After seeing what I did to you and hearing about it from everyone...I don't deserve to be a part of this crew. I...I don't deserve to be called one of your nakama." He took Luffy's straw hat from off of the wall and placed it on his chest. "Get well soon. I know...I know you'll find another cook someday. Please...just forget I was ever here." Sanji wiped his eyes and turned to leave the room, but not before he gave a quick glance at his captain. Tears stained his face and new ones fell as he whispered, "Goodbye, Luffy." He exited to the right, not noticing Chopper standing to his left. He had heard the entire thing and was crying as well.

He sniffled and exclaimed, "Sanji...please don't go!" Surprised, Sanji turned around and said, "CHOPPER! How long were you there?"

"The whole time," Chopper answered. "Please tell me that you won't leave! We'll think of something!"

"Chopper, I have to! Jesus Christ, I nearly killed Luffy! LOOK AT HIM! He's a fucking mess! And all over something we can replace! Give me one reason why I shouldn't just walk out of here right now!"

"Because Luffy woke up a few minutes ago!"

Sanji's jaw nearly dropped. "You mean..."

"His wounds are all superficial. The wound in his shoulder missed every vital spot. He's going to be fine, Sanji."

The cook dropped to his knees and spread out his arms, signaling Chopper to come forward with his hands. Chopper hesitated, but approached him anyway. When he got close enough, Sanji scooped him up and began to hug him, sobbing loudly and not caring if anyone heard. After he let it all out, he asked Chopper, "What were you doing down here?"

"I came down to check my medicine cabinet," he answered. "I was talking with everyone about this upstairs, and Robin said that the fact that you used your hands to...to do that...could prove that you weren't yourself. She told me to check the infirmary."

"Is there anything specific you're looking for?"

"Yeah. Do you remember when Kuma separated all of us?"

Sanji shuddered and grumbled, "How could I forget?"

"Well, the island I landed on was home to a tribe who chased me night and day trying to make me into their dinner. I used up my stash of Rumble Balls within the first few days and had to find something to fight them off. I hadn't had anything to eat in about a week at this point..."

"I don't mean to be rude, Chopper, but what does this have to do with what I did?"

"I'm getting to that. Anyway, I came across a bush in the forest that looked edible, so I began to eat it. But the first bite I took sent me into a violent rage, and when I came to I was on the opposite side of the island, laying next to another one of those bushes. So I stripped the bush of its leaves, dried them out, and ground them into a powder. That way, any time the natives tried to eat me, I had an alternative to the Rumble Ball that I could use. I brought it back with me when we all reunited."

"Do you remember where you had it last?"

"Yeah. A few days ago, I was in the kitchen looking for a quick snack. I grabbed a box of crackers and put it into my backpack, but it wouldn't close. So I dumped it out, and the bottle of ground-up leaves fell out. I threw everything I didn't need away, but I left the bottle on the counter--"

The color instantly drained from Chopper's face, and Sanji's followed suit. The truth behind the cook's meltdown hit the both of them like a ton of bricks. Their realization came in a terrified, simultaneous gasp of fear:

"Oh, _no."_


	11. An Educated Guess

_"Son of a bitch."_

_With those words, Sanji rose from the deck of the Sunny. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed the glint of a butcher knife sitting next to him. He picked it up and was horrified to see it stained with blood. Gasping in fright, he dropped it almost as soon as he grabbed it. He checked his body for any knife wounds and was relieved to see there were none to speak of._

_"Thank God," he mumbled as he glanced over at the table Franky and Usopp had built. Plates, glasses, and silverware were still set in the same arrangement as they'd been when he'd wheeled the food out, although a few of the glasses had been knocked over. There was no evidence of food on the plates, beverages in the glasses, or crumbs on the silverware._

_"Goddammit, did we even eat?" Sanji asked. After he asked that question, he heard his stomach growl. He sighed dejectedly and mumbled, "I guess not."_

_He had clutched his stomach when he heard the rumblings of hunger, and when he brought his hands back to his face, he saw that his right hand was dotted with blood. He let out a startled yell and quickly removed his coat, once again checking his body for any wounds. When he found a second time that there were none, he sighed with relief and glanced at the front of his coat to find a large red stain on the left side. Sanji shook his head in bewilderment and went to the kitchen to wash his hands._

_As he approached the sink, he gazed at his reflection in the mirror. His face and his hair had tiny red splotches all over them. Nervous and frightened, Sanji decided to take a shower to try and get the blood off. While making his way to the bathroom, he discovered an indentation in the ship's deck._

_He said to himself, "What the hell happened? Did something fall out of the sky?" He dismissed it as nothing as he headed to the bathroom. Besides, it was easily fixable, nothing Usopp or Franky couldn't handle._

_Five minutes later, Sanji came back out on deck dressed in a casual T-shirt, blue jeans, and slippers. He continued his examination of the outdoor dining area, all the while calling out the names of his crewmates. His voice echoed through the darkness without an answer. "Where the hell IS everyone?"_

_That was the point when he noticed the cart._

_As he approached the edge of the ship, he pulled the cart towards him to see a big dent in its side from where it hit. He remembered running after it when Luffy knocked the wheel brake loose and seeing his captain's arms stretching towards the cart, and then...nothing. Sanji racked his brain to figure out exactly what happened, but couldn't figure out an answer._

_His memory just stopped cold at seeing Luffy's arms rocketing towards the cart. The blood on his coat...the dent in the floorboards...the butcher knife...the blood on his face and in his hair... Something clicked in Sanji's head, and he began to formulate his guess as to what happened._

_"Luffy stretches his arms towards the cart while it was on its way to the edge," he said to himself while acting out his hypothesis. "Before it hits, he grabs the roast duck and the beef lasagna and stuffs them in his mouth. He lets everything else fall into the ocean because it's not meat." Sanji began to get angry, but continued. "I start yelling at him because of his greediness and he says something stupid, so I kick him towards the mast again. The kick's a bit stronger than normal, enough to cause some blood to come out of his nose. But it was a special occasion; it was some of the best food I'd ever prepared."_

_He walked towards the indentation. "But this time, in my anger, I miss my target. He clips the edge of the mast and careens into the floor. His head is the only part of his body that makes contact, causing the indentation. I go over to Luffy to yell at him, and he spits up some blood--not a lot, but enough to stain my face and hair. Then he wipes his face on my coat, causing the bloodstain. I kick him in the ass and send him rocketing into the wall. I tell everyone that we'll have to wait until we get some more supplies before we try to have this dinner done right. Everyone goes to sleep."_

_Sanji quickly realized, "But I was calling their names before. Loud, too." He glanced around nervously. "Shit."_

_As for the butcher knife, Sanji reasoned, "Luffy probably cut himself on that knife when he was grabbing for the meat. After everything's over, I take the knife to the kitchen to clean it off, but I drop it. Everyone goes to bed, and I take a nap out here for a few minutes. I_ was _preparing that food all day."_

_All day. It had taken him all day to make that food, and once again, Luffy's insatiable appetite for meat had ruined it. "That shitty captain," Sanji said as he lit a cigarette. "He did it again."_

_Sanji took a long, slow drag from his cigarette and stared off into space. The blood on his coat would wash out, but the memory of that night's dinner never would._


	12. The Truth

Chopper and Sanji frantically ran up the stairs to the kitchen. If ever there was a chance for Sanji to clear his name, this was it. As the duo emerged from the ship's belly, the cook saw that the note he had written had been torn off of the door to his quarters.

"SHIT!" he screamed.

"What is it, Sanji?" Chopper asked.

Sanji frantically answered, "I wrote a goodbye note before I ran into you downstairs! But never mind that now! We've gotta find that bottle of rage powder!" Within a matter of seconds, they were at the kitchen door and through it just as fast, as a well-timed kick from Sanji forced it open. Upon entry, Sanji ran to the stove while Chopper turned into his Heavy Point form and began frantically tearing through the cupboards.

Pots, pans and cutlery cascaded onto the floor as Sanji tore apart his workstation looking for the fateful powder, while the repeated opening and slamming shut of cabinet doors was heard as Chopper did his part. After turning the kitchen upside down for nearly five minutes, neither man nor reindeer had uncovered the bottle. Sanji's spirits were crushed as he sank to the floor in defeat, burying his face in his hands.

Chopper turned back into his Brain Point form and attempted to console him. "Don't give up, Sanji! It's gotta be around here somewhere!"

Sanji raised his head and cried, "Chopper, if it was, we'd have found it by now! There's no way in hell I can convince the guys that I'm innocent without that FUCKING BOTTLE!" In frustration, he kicked the side of the stove and heard rattling up above him.

The spice cabinet. The one place they had neglected to look.

Sanji rose and took the cover off to find his array of spices knocked over. As he put them back upright and in an orderly fashion, he noticed a bottle laying to the right. It was the same size as the rest of them, had no label, and contained a dark red powder that could easily be mistaken for red pepper flakes. Sanji grabbed it and gave it to Chopper, and upon receiving it, the reindeer said, "This is it, Sanji. This is it."

However, Sanji saw no reason to celebrate. He began to retrace his steps to earlier in the day, to when he was preparing the Alabasta gumbo. He remembered Brook had started to play Bink's Sake, and he had gotten distracted. The bottle was right next to the red pepper flakes he needed to spice up the sauce for the dish, and he must have grabbed the...

_I grabbed the wrong bottle._

Chopper heard Sanji gasp and looked up to see his friend hyperventilating and covering his mouth, shaking his head back and forth wildly.

_I had to start the dish over. It was too spicy._

The reindeer transformed into his Heavy Point form again, grabbing Sanji's shoulders and yelling, "SANJI! SANJI, I'M HERE! IT'S OKAY!"

_I tasted the water._

Sanji's stomach turned. He felt like he was going to vomit.

_I had to do a fucking taste test!_

"SANJI! _SANJI!"_

_IT WAS TOO FUCKING SPICY!_

Sanji broke free of Chopper's grip and began to heave into the sink. Chopper stood back and let him do so, and when he was done, Sanji slumped to the floor again. Chopper knelt down and yelled, "SANJI! ARE YOU OKAY?"

The cook was in a state of shock, mumbling, "I had to start over...I had to start over..."

"What do you mean? What do you mean you had to start over?"

By that point, Sanji's voice had grown from a mumble to a full-blown yell: "I screwed up! I SCREWED UP!"

"What do you--" Then Chopper realized what he meant.

_"I think I screwed up one of the dishes."_

Chopper's face paled almost instantly. In shock, he mumbled, "Oh my God...my God..." His face contorted with the realization as he hugged Sanji, crying, "I'm so sorry! I should have believed you! I'm so sorry!" All of a sudden, they heard Luffy's voice from behind them:

"Sorry for what?"


	13. Forgiveness

Chopper and Sanji stood up to see the entire crew standing in front of the stove. Luffy was in front, looking to be well on his way to recovery, faster than Chopper could have imagined. Still, he was groggy from the painkillers, and he was leaning on Zoro's shoulder for leverage. Robin and Franky stood to their left with Nami, Usopp and Brook at their right.

Luffy asked his question again: "Sorry for what?"

Sanji broke away from Chopper and approached the crew, tears welling in his eyes. "For screwing up the dish," he said in a mournful tone. "For delaying things. For not paying attention."

"What are you talking about?" Usopp asked.

Chopper came out from behind the stove and held up the bottle. "This is what he's talking about. I accidentally left this in here a few days ago. Sanji...must have added it to his spice cabinet without thinking."

Zoro asked, "What is that? Is that red pepper?"

"No, Zoro." Following that statement, Chopper repeated the explanation he had given Sanji outside the infirmary to the crew. When he finished, everyone seemed just as surprised and shocked as the two of them had been.

"So you're saying," Nami said, "that this powder caused Sanji to lose his mind like that?"

"Yeah," Chopper answered.

"How can you be so sure, reindeer-gorilla?" Franky asked.

"I...I..."

Suddenly, they heard Robin ask, "May I see that, Doctor-san?" Chopper handed her the bottle, and after a few seconds of close examination, Robin crossed her arms in front of her. Within a minute, a book that had sprouted a pair of her feet walked into the room and dropped on the floor in front of her. She picked it up and began to look through it.

"What book is that, madam?" Brook asked.

"An encyclopedia of plant life," Robin answered. "With any luck, I can find out exactly what this is." She asked Chopper, "Do you remember what the bush looked like?"

"Yeah--it was about my height. It had a real dark red color and a bunch of flowers blooming all over it. I stripped it clean to make that powder."

After rifling through the book for a minute with the rest of the Straw Hats looking on, Robin arrived at the entry to the plant Chopper had described. She showed the picture to him and the reindeer exclaimed, "That's it! That's the one!"

Robin nodded and began to read the description. "The Yofun Bush. This beautiful shrub is native only to the South Blue, where the temperate climate allows it to thrive and grow. The dark red hue of the plant's leaves provide a stark contrast to its flowers, which bloom at a brighter shade of red, nearly pink in color. The leaves of the Yofun Bush can be used as a substitute for red pepper..."

Robin paused and glanced at Sanji. His expression was one of relief and sadness.

She continued: "...but one must be careful not to eat any of the bush's flowers. They contain a powerful stimulant that, initially, lays dormant in the amygdala with no visible side effects. However, one must be careful after ingesting the flower, for the slightest provocation, no matter how minor, sends the subject into a state of intense, violent rage. If this happens, take extreme caution."

Chopper asked, "So it was the flower?"

"Yes, Doctor-san. The leaves were harmless."

Zoro felt his stomach drop and had to sit down. Thankfully, Luffy had regained enough of his bearings to stand on his own. He said, "Sanji...forgive me. I had no idea."

"None of us did," Luffy said. He extended his hand to Sanji and said, "Nami found your note. Sanji, please don't leave."

Sanji stood before his captain in numb shock. Why were they so quick to forgive him after what he'd done? To maim and nearly _kill_ Luffy the way he did surely would have been unforgivable in their eyes! Tears rolled down his cheeks as he said, "Luffy, how can you be the first to ask me not to go? I nearly...I nearly killed you!"

"You weren't yourself," Nami said as she gently rubbed his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Sanji. We should have believed you."

"Please," Brook pleaded. "Stay with us."

Sanji looked around at his crewmates, their faces full of emotion. Then he turned his attention back to Luffy. "Were...were you trying to save everything?"

"Yeah. I knew how much that feast meant to you. I wanted to celebrate it too." Sanji covered his face as the emotion became too much to bear.

Luffy smiled, put his hand on his shoulder and assured him, "It's okay, Sanji."

Sanji threw his arms around Luffy, sobbing hysterically. Luffy returned the embrace and was soon joined in a big group hug by everyone else. Tears and emotions flowed as Sanji cried, "Please forgive me...please...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...please...I love you guys...I'm so sorry..."

After what seemed like a lifetime but was only about three minutes, the embrace was broken. Franky had grabbed his guitar and was already singing a song about the event, with Brook accompanying him on violin. Nami wiped tears from her eyes and said, "We should be making landfall by tomorrow. If you wanna give the anniversary feast another try, you can get what you need in port."

Sanji smiled through his tears and replied, "Thank you, Nami-san. That would be great."

She smiled and gently kissed him on the forehead. "Welcome back, Sanji."

Dumbstruck, Sanji stammered incoherently as everyone watched, waiting for the inevitable love blowup. When nothing happened, Zoro said, "Looks like he's too exhausted to react. Can't say that I blame him." Everyone bid Sanji goodnight as they went back to their quarters.

Zoro was the last to leave. Before he closed the door, he gave one last backward glance at Sanji and smiled. It felt great knowing everything was back to normal. He closed the door and started for his quarters, but just as he left, he heard:

_**"THANK YOU, NAMI-SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!"**_

The swordsman grinned and said to himself, _"There_ it is."


	14. Kanpai

The Straw Hat Pirates waved goodbye to the residents of the town as they set sail once again.

Chopper had replenished his medicine stock after taking care of Luffy. Upon their arrival, he had taken the Yofun Bush extract with him and thrown it away the first chance he got. Since he was back with his friends and could make Rumble Balls again, and especially since the fateful incident with Sanji, he had no use for it.

Sanji bought ten pounds of Sea King meat, five ducks, a crate full of ground beef, five kegs of ale, and a whole array of fruits, vegetables, and spices. And before he forgot, he bought a new food cart, one with brakes on all four wheels. The last thing he wanted was for that whole mess to happen again.

Later that night, as the Straw Hats took their seats at Franky and Usopp's makeshift table, they were abuzz with anticipation of the meal. The kitchen door opened, and they turned to see Sanji proudly wheeling out their second anniversary (plus one) dinner. The menu was the same as before: Sea King au Poivre, roast duck, beef lasagna, vegetable stir fry, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate torte, and mikan meringue. The only major change was the replacement of the Alabasta gumbo with Cocoyashi stew. After what had happened, Sanji resolved never to make the gumbo again.

When he reached the table, he locked all four wheels in place and, with Luffy's help, placed the food on the table for all to see. It was just as incredible as they thought it would be. Once everything was in place, Sanji filled everyone's glasses with ale and cleared his throat.

"Before we begin, I'd like to propose a toast." He turned to his crewmates, raised his glass, and saluted them individually.

"To Robin, for her striking beauty and intelligence. To Brook, for his musicianship and his class. To Usopp, for his creativity and good humor. To Franky, for his...his Frankyness."

Everyone had a good-natured laugh at Sanji's description. "Yeah, that about sums it up," Franky acknowledged.

"Okay, okay," Sanji said with a smile. He continued: "To Nami, for her expert navigational skills and her striking beauty. To Zoro, for his willingness to fight me at any given time."

Zoro grinned and said, "How about now?" He faked getting up from his seat as Sanji pretended to go into a fighting stance to the sound of everyone's cheers. Zoro and Sanji shook hands, and the swordsman sat down.

Sanji continued: "And last, but definitely not least...to Chopper, for healing our wounds and being a good listener. And..." He hoisted his glass high in the air as he faced his captain. "To Luffy, for being the glue that holds us all together. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for letting us be a part of your dream." Luffy smiled as everyone saluted him and gave him cheers.

But Sanji wasn't finished. "And thank you. All of you. Throughout these two years--and a day--we've grown and matured in ways we could never have imagined. I've never been prouder or happier than I am right now..." Tears began to well in Sanji's eyes, and he paused for a moment to collect himself. "But I've never been prouder or happier than I am right now to call myself your friend. Your chef. Your nakama."

With tears running down his face, he raised his glass in the air and finished. "I love you all. From the bottom of my heart...thank you so much." His crewmates applauded his speech as he began to sit down, but before he could, Chopper stood on the table, glass of ale in hand, and yelled, "THREE CHEERS FOR SANJI!"

All nine Straw Hats toasted together three times with a hearty shout of "KANPAI!" each time. After the third toast, everyone sat down as Sanji began to serve the food. As he stared at his friends while they ate, laughed and carried on, he said a silent thank you to each of them for letting him stay. Truly, he was among friends. He lifted his glass and gave one final, triumphant toast:

"AND HERE'S TO TEN YEARS MORE!"

* * *

_Oh, when everything is wrong  
__Oh, when hopelessness surrounds you  
__Oh, the sun will rise again  
The tide you swim against will carry you back home  
__So don't give up  
__Don't give in.  
_--"I Walk Beside You," Dream Theater

* * *

Dream Theater quote copyright 2005 by John Petrucci.


End file.
